Part of the purpose of Science Borealis is to help you develop your science writing and science communication skills. We recognize that, as contributing editors, you represent a wide range of writing experience and backgrounds: scientists transitioning from academic writing to science communications, creative writers transitioning to science, and seasoned science communications professionals. Some of you have worked with editors before. Many have not.
Our editors are experienced science communicators, writers and editors themselves. Their job is to ensure that only high-quality posts end up on our site. They understand that some of you are experienced and that others are new to this. They will treat you and your posts with respect.
First drafts
Your first draft is not a “rough” draft
Your first draft should reflect your best effort to tell the story you pitched. The copy should be clean, organized, and proof read. The story should be well considered and complete. That means writing, revising and polishing your work as best you can before you submit.
The editors are happy to spend extra time with new writers, but it is not their job to turn last-minute, hastily written pieces or undeveloped stories into workable posts. Keep in mind that they are juggling 3–6 articles per week in various stages of the editorial cycle, so it is essential that you do the heavy lifting required for your post yourself.
Revisions
Your opportunity to improve your writing
The job of the editors is to identify problems, make or suggest changes, and help you ready your piece for publication. Some of their edits will be simple and non-negotiable – typos, errors in grammar or punctuation, confusing sentence structure and the like. For these, a simple “accept changes” on your part is sufficient.
But the editors may also identify more instrinsic problems – structural issues, story discontinuity, digressions, and lapses into academic prose. They may have questions for you and, in some cases, may not even agree with each other on the best way for you to improve the piece. (Remember: there is no single right way to explain or present anything.)
At this point, the comment section of your draft and subsequent emails will become a conversation between you and the editors as you work through changes. It will provide you with an opportunity to hear their thinking, ask questions, test ideas, and learn how to improve your work.
It is your job, as the author, to go back and think about your piece and rework areas that need attention until your post is ready for publication.
Please make sure that with each subsequent draft, all of the minor changes (typos, rephrasing, etc.) are accepted and don’t appear in the new draft. Only the editors’ comments you want to address should be carried over. If you agree with all of the editors’ suggestions, then your next draft should be clean (no visible track-changes).
While we ask that you remain receptive to the editors’ suggestions and edits, we recognize that the post is ultimately going to be published under your byline. In that light, you are free to respectfully disagree with an editor’s suggestions or changes. However, your post must meet our standards to be published on the site. If, for any reason you come to an impasse, please contact the managing editor.
Timing
If you are thinking that writing an article for Science Borealis sounds like a lot of work for a five-week draft-and-revision cycle, remember you have ~8–12 weeks between posts. You are welcome (encouraged!) to pitch and draft your post far in advance.
Science Borealis is here to help you develop your skills as a science writer and science communicator. If you are nervous about your first few posts and would like extra attention and coaching from the editors and outreach team, they are amenable to that. Just let us know well in advance to ensure we have the bandwidth at the appropriate time, and pitch and submit early so you have time to work through revisions.
Use this Article Submission Checklist to stay on track during the submission process.
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Other resources in this series
The role of a Science Borealis subject/contributing editor
Writing for Science Borealis: Our writing practicum for editorial candidates
The Science Borealis editorial cycle
Guidelines for articles published on Science Borealis
Pitching an article for Science Borealis
Using and crediting images in Science Borealis articles
